Disney World is a huge place with tons of little details that are easy to miss. On your next trip to Disney World, be on the lookout for some of my top ten personal favorite sights.
1. The Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone has always been something I associate with Disneyland, but did you know there’s actually one in Disney World as well? The Sword in the Stone is located in front of Prince Charming’s carousel, and makes for a fun photo opportunity. It’s been rumored that there’s a cast member who watches the sword from a distance and uses a switch to operate it, deciding who will get to lift the sword.
2. Steering the Liberty Square Riverboat
Next time you ride the Liberty Square Riverboat, ask a cast member to ride in the wheelhouse. If you’re allowed, you’ll get to sit with the captain, “steer” the riverboat, and take home a commemorative co-pilot certificate. The boat is run on a track and the steering wheel doesn’t really do anything, so there’s no need to worry about crashing the boat.
3. Cinderella’s Wishing Well
On a pathway behind the castle to Cosmic Ray’s, you can find Cinderella’s wishing well, a charming well for making wishes and throwing pennies. The area is perfect for pictures and taking a break, since there are usually very few people there. Another plus is whatever coins you throw into the well are collected frequently and donated to children’s charities.
4. Lady and the Tramp
Near the entrance to Magic Kingdom is an Italian restaurant called Tony’s Town Square, based on the restaurant Tony’s from Lady and the Tramp. In the movie, the dogs place their paw prints in wet cement, inside of a heart that a human couple drew. At Tony’s Town Square, you can find their paw prints in a heart right outside of the restaurant.
5. Audrey Hepburn
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to the Chinese Theatre, a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. In front of the building are the hand prints of celebrities such as Mickey Mouse, Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, and Audrey Hepburn. Disney World is the only place in the world where you can find Hepburn’s hand prints. When she did her hand prints, she cried and said she was emotional because she’d never been asked for her hand prints before. The original Grauman’s Theatre immediately took action by contacting Hepburn and asking for her hand prints, but she turned them down, making Disney World the only place in the world to find them.
6. Muppet Vision Key
At Muppet Vision 3D, you’ll find a booth near the entrance with a sign that says ‘Back in 5 minutes key is under mat’. Lift up the mat at the booth and you’ll find a key. Before you get too excited, the key is screwed into the ground, so you won’t be able to try and take it home with you. It still makes for a fun little magic moment, though.
7. Love in a Roller Coaster
This one is a bit harder to find, but still pretty awesome when you can get it. On Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, there are six limos, with only five that ever get used. During the ride, Aerosmith music is blasted through the speakers, one of them being Love in an Elevator. If you listen close at the end of the ride, you’ll hear the lyrics were changed to ‘Love in a Roller Coaster’.
8. Pearls in Japan
Epcot’s Japan is home to a store called Mitsukoshi. In this store, you’ll find a large tank of water full of oysters. Pick an oyster and a cast member will take out the pearl in that oyster for you to take home as a gift. The pearls are typically around $16 and make a fun experience. There are also settings for the pearls for you to choose from.
9. Christopher Robin’s Room
In the England Pavilion in Epcot, there used to be a meet and greet area for Winnie the Pooh and his friends. This meet and greet was at the back of a shop called The Toy Soldier, and was decorated to look like Christopher Robin’s bedroom. Today the meet and greet is no longer in operation, but if you go to the very back of The Toy Soldier, you’ll find a door for cast members only. Peer inside and you’ll see Christopher Robin’s bedroom, still in perfect condition.
10. The Electric Umbrella
For any fans still missing Push the Talking Trash Can, visit the Electric Umbrella in Epcot to meet a talking trash can. Look for the trash can that’s plugged in and throw something away to hear it talk to you.
Imagineer Pat Burke (Well known for getting all the authentic mining equipment used as props in all the Big Thunder Mountains) messing around with Godzilla in the early 1980s when Walt Disney Imagineering was using the Toho lot as a staging area for development of Tokyo Disneyland.
Back in 1982 and 83, WED Enterprises was busy building it’s first international park called Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, as well as EPCOT in Walt Disney World. The Africa Pavillion was cancelled, so I went to Japan to help with props and sets for about 13 attractions. Based mostly at TOHO Studios, I was called upon one day to visit the Monster Room where all the TOHO Monsters hung around. Godzilla the most famous of their family was having a new premier revival at the Ginza. I offered to help out with a teeth cleaning and gave him a ride to make up, as seen in the 2 photos. I heard he made a Big Splash at the opening.
Full Interview at Disney And More, which has more stuff on working on Tokyo Disney (While working on It’s a Small World at Toho, he met Akira Kurosawa) as well as general career highlights. Sadly, Pat passed away back in 2014.
Sometimes I will see people doubt the existence of the basketball court inside the Matterhorn at Disneyland. Most people, though, seem to know by now that this particular urban legend is true (well, it’s not exactly a full-sized court, but it’s there).
The only debate now is whether it was built to fall into a loophole in building codes that only allowed tall buildings in Anaheim if they were gymnasiums.
Black Panther has arrived at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort. Accompanied by some of his warriors, King T’Challa rides aboard the Shield armored vehicle as he leaves the nation of Wakanda to come and meet guests to the Disneyland Resort. King T’Challa’s entrance begins with two armed warriors and narration that proclaims his arrival saying:
For thousands of year, the nation of Wakanda chose to hide its magnificence from the world. Those who were seduced by whispers of a technological oasis in Africa searched but found nothing, or worse, came face to face with our fierce protectors. But the time for hiding in the shadows has passed. We have come forward to share our knowledge and innovation. To take our place as a global tribe in order to make the world a better place. Welcome forth, King T’Challa, the Black Panther.
The Black Panther arrives at the Disneyland Resort on the same day that his movie of the same name hits theaters. Black Panther is receiving rave reviews and had a record $25.2 million Thursday night previews. Black Panther will be meeting guests for a limited time at Disney California Adventure. Make sure to stop by and see him. And if you can’t, DAPS MAGIC will have more photos (and potentially video) coming for you to enjoy!
What do you think of the arrival of Black Panther from Wakanda to the Disneyland Resort? Let us know in the comments below!
Black Panther has arrived at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort. Accompanied by some of his warriors, King T’Challa rides aboard the Shield armored vehicle as he leaves the nation of Wakanda to come and meet guests to the Disneyland Resort.
